"...just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord...you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." 1 Peter 3:6
God has called us to obey Him in the circumstances that we are in. This world is full of sin, sin in those around us and sin within ourselves. Before we can confront anyone about their sin we must look at the sin in our selves first. When we go through difficult trials or persecution we are to follow Christ’s example, fixing our eyes on Him and receiving power and strength from Him. When our husband is unbelieving we are to win him with our gentle spirit and behavior. We are to confront with meekness and respect. We are to believe that God has a plan and He is sovereign over all. We can trust in our heavenly husband.
"...God calls us to fulfill our calling in the very circumstances that we're in. The only opportunity you have to fulfill your calling and obey the Lord is in the now. You can't fulfill God's call in the past or in the future- you've only got today, this minute- to choose to follow Him or to turn aside."p.178 This was very convicting and yet very encouraging to me. I can't worry about mistakes I have made in the past or how I am going to obey in the future. I have only right now. The verses in 1 Peter 3:1-6 also encouraged me. Where do we get the fearlessness that produces quiet tranquility which in turn produces humble submission? We get if from hope in God. When I remember who God is, that He has a perfect loving plan for my life, I will experience a boldness at whatever comes my way, knowing that it is from God. My heart will than be at peace. When I am at peace within me it will be easy to be humble ad submit to my husband. It all starts with God.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Chapter Ten ~ Created to Communicate
"She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
Proverbs 31:26
Before the creation of man, God spoke. God has been speaking to His people ever since. God designed women, in particular, with the gift of language skills. We are to use this ability to glorify the Lord and help our husband. Our goal in communication should be to glorify and please the Lord. We have the opportunity to reflect who God is with the words that come out of our mouths. But our hearts must be changed by the Lord, for out of the heart the mouth speaks. Our words simply reflect what is in our hearts. God uses His words to reveal Himself. They are perfect, solid, right, pure, true, righteous and desirable. They restore, make wise, bring joy and enlightenment, warn and reward. God’s words reveals the thought and intention of the heart. They enable us to throw off the yoke of sin and shows us the way to forgiveness. We must have our hearts centered on Christ if our words are going to be pleasing to the Lord. In the Bible women are instructed to refrain from gossip. Women are also warned against nagging and contentious words. Our words should be pleasant, healthful words. They should be graceful and deliberate, truthful, yet loving, wise, kind and comforting words.
My tongue is very powerful. What and how I say things can have a great impact for either destruction or life. I can choose to build up or break down others. If I simply take a few moments to consider what I am about to say, consider the effect it will have on others, I can begin to tame my tongue.
Proverbs 31:26
Before the creation of man, God spoke. God has been speaking to His people ever since. God designed women, in particular, with the gift of language skills. We are to use this ability to glorify the Lord and help our husband. Our goal in communication should be to glorify and please the Lord. We have the opportunity to reflect who God is with the words that come out of our mouths. But our hearts must be changed by the Lord, for out of the heart the mouth speaks. Our words simply reflect what is in our hearts. God uses His words to reveal Himself. They are perfect, solid, right, pure, true, righteous and desirable. They restore, make wise, bring joy and enlightenment, warn and reward. God’s words reveals the thought and intention of the heart. They enable us to throw off the yoke of sin and shows us the way to forgiveness. We must have our hearts centered on Christ if our words are going to be pleasing to the Lord. In the Bible women are instructed to refrain from gossip. Women are also warned against nagging and contentious words. Our words should be pleasant, healthful words. They should be graceful and deliberate, truthful, yet loving, wise, kind and comforting words.
My tongue is very powerful. What and how I say things can have a great impact for either destruction or life. I can choose to build up or break down others. If I simply take a few moments to consider what I am about to say, consider the effect it will have on others, I can begin to tame my tongue.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Chapter Nine ~ Learning the Steps of the Dance
"But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:24
All Christians are called to submit. We are called to submit to the Lord, to each other and to the authorities that God has placed over us. Christ is our perfect example of joyful willing submission. The more we know of Christ, the better our understanding of what true biblical submission looks like. As wives we are to follow the lead of our husband as the church follows the lead of Christ. God designed submission for our good and His glory. So what is submission? It is the laying down of self and yielding to another. I am to embrace my husband's calling and vision and make it my own. I don't lose who I am, I bring my gifts and strengths to benefit my husband. How can we do this? It is only by the grace of God. As we submit to our heavenly Father, we will be able to submit to our earthly husband.
I haven't been relying on the Holy Spirit for the power to submit. I have been depending on my own strength. If I was depending on the Spirit I would ask Him to enable me to have the right attitude about submission. I know that God is faithful and He can give me the right attitude. Why do I fight against Him by not asking for His strength? I struggle with the idea that in order to submit I have to think exactly like my husband, that I have to agree with everything he thinks and does. What does submission look like when it doesn't think the same way? Where is the balance of expressing my own views and opinions yet submitting to Jason's decisions? I feel that if I don't think like him I'm not following him. I'm in a tug a war with the desire to just keep quiet for the sake of peace and the desire to fight for what I think. Both are wrong. I need to share my perspective but once my husband has made the final decision I need to support that with everything that is in me.
All Christians are called to submit. We are called to submit to the Lord, to each other and to the authorities that God has placed over us. Christ is our perfect example of joyful willing submission. The more we know of Christ, the better our understanding of what true biblical submission looks like. As wives we are to follow the lead of our husband as the church follows the lead of Christ. God designed submission for our good and His glory. So what is submission? It is the laying down of self and yielding to another. I am to embrace my husband's calling and vision and make it my own. I don't lose who I am, I bring my gifts and strengths to benefit my husband. How can we do this? It is only by the grace of God. As we submit to our heavenly Father, we will be able to submit to our earthly husband.
I haven't been relying on the Holy Spirit for the power to submit. I have been depending on my own strength. If I was depending on the Spirit I would ask Him to enable me to have the right attitude about submission. I know that God is faithful and He can give me the right attitude. Why do I fight against Him by not asking for His strength? I struggle with the idea that in order to submit I have to think exactly like my husband, that I have to agree with everything he thinks and does. What does submission look like when it doesn't think the same way? Where is the balance of expressing my own views and opinions yet submitting to Jason's decisions? I feel that if I don't think like him I'm not following him. I'm in a tug a war with the desire to just keep quiet for the sake of peace and the desire to fight for what I think. Both are wrong. I need to share my perspective but once my husband has made the final decision I need to support that with everything that is in me.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Chapter Eight ~ Because He First Loved Us
"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:9-10, 19
The only reason we can love others is because God has first loved us. When we were dead in our sin, He loved us and made a way for us to be united with Him. We are commanded in scripture to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as our self. Our first and supreme love must be for God. Our love for God is to dominate our thoughts and actions. When we are so enamored with God’s love for us and love Him above all, then we can obey the second commandment, loving others. We are to love our husband as we love our self. We are to love them the way Christ has loved us. True love is a love that persistently seeks to do good to the one loved. We are to act with fondness, affection and kindness to our husbands.
I am humbled by how Christ loves me. He loved me in all my sin and shame. My love for my husband should not be dependent on his behavior. It's dependent on the fact that I am loved by my heavenly Father. Because I am so loved by God, that love can spill over to others in my life. The more I focus on how I am loved by God, the more I will love like Christ.
The only reason we can love others is because God has first loved us. When we were dead in our sin, He loved us and made a way for us to be united with Him. We are commanded in scripture to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as our self. Our first and supreme love must be for God. Our love for God is to dominate our thoughts and actions. When we are so enamored with God’s love for us and love Him above all, then we can obey the second commandment, loving others. We are to love our husband as we love our self. We are to love them the way Christ has loved us. True love is a love that persistently seeks to do good to the one loved. We are to act with fondness, affection and kindness to our husbands.
I am humbled by how Christ loves me. He loved me in all my sin and shame. My love for my husband should not be dependent on his behavior. It's dependent on the fact that I am loved by my heavenly Father. Because I am so loved by God, that love can spill over to others in my life. The more I focus on how I am loved by God, the more I will love like Christ.
Chapter Seven ~ Called for His Purpose
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
God’s ultimate purpose is always to glorify Himself. God’s purpose in creating marriage was for His glory. God’s purpose in putting me in the marriage in am in, is for His glory and my good. Our marriage does not have to be perfect to bring Him glory. He receives glory as we trust and grow in Him in the midst of our struggles. We can rest in the fact that whatever we may be going through, the purpose is to bring God glory. God is more interested in His reputation than in my earthly comfort. He knows that our happiness and His glory are inextricably bound together and that we’ll never be truly happy until we drink deeply of His person and grow in our desire to glorify Him. I will only be able to experience satisfaction when I realize that the purpose of my life is to glorify Him and enjoy Him eternally.
I have been encouraged with the reminder that God uses all things for my good. On page 117 she states that "God is re-forming His image in you, a Christian woman. Not only is He glorifying Himself, He is actively causing genuine good to be developed in our lives." and on page 119 "He knows our happiness and His glory are inextricably bound together and that we'll never be truly happy until we drink deeply of His person and grow in our desire to glorify Him". It is good to be reminded that everything in my life circumstances are brought to me by my loving Father for my good.
God’s ultimate purpose is always to glorify Himself. God’s purpose in creating marriage was for His glory. God’s purpose in putting me in the marriage in am in, is for His glory and my good. Our marriage does not have to be perfect to bring Him glory. He receives glory as we trust and grow in Him in the midst of our struggles. We can rest in the fact that whatever we may be going through, the purpose is to bring God glory. God is more interested in His reputation than in my earthly comfort. He knows that our happiness and His glory are inextricably bound together and that we’ll never be truly happy until we drink deeply of His person and grow in our desire to glorify Him. I will only be able to experience satisfaction when I realize that the purpose of my life is to glorify Him and enjoy Him eternally.
I have been encouraged with the reminder that God uses all things for my good. On page 117 she states that "God is re-forming His image in you, a Christian woman. Not only is He glorifying Himself, He is actively causing genuine good to be developed in our lives." and on page 119 "He knows our happiness and His glory are inextricably bound together and that we'll never be truly happy until we drink deeply of His person and grow in our desire to glorify Him". It is good to be reminded that everything in my life circumstances are brought to me by my loving Father for my good.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Chapter Six ~ The Two Shall Become One
"In the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman." 1 Corinthians 11:11
God has intended marriage to be our most intimate relationship here on earth. We are to be united to our spouse so deeply that whatever affects one will affect the other. Because we are so closely bound to our husbands we should strive to make it easy for them to love us. The beauty of this relationship is that we don’t lose our own uniqueness but rather we use our uniqueness to help our husband. In order to experience oneness and intimacy with our husbands we need to get to know them and allow them to know us. God created the act of sex to bring husband and wives together into one flesh physically. God designed sex to be intimate and pleasurable. We are not to rob our spouse in this area. The goal of sex is serving, loving, and helping your husband and treasuring your oneness. Even in our differences we can blend our desires and voice together to praise God and bring Him glory.
When first married my focus was to do my husband good. I was nice and helpful and anxious to do anything to please him. After 14 years of marriage I have settled into a comfortable place where I have forgotten to be nice. It's not like I intend to be mean, but I know he loves me so my tone of voice can be harsh and rough. I no longer greet him with a smile at the door, but instead allow the children to swarm him when he comes in. This chapter was a good reminder for me, I want to make it easy for my husband to love me. Christ is so easy for me to love, He is so gracious and tender to me. I long to be tender and gracious as Christ is.
God has intended marriage to be our most intimate relationship here on earth. We are to be united to our spouse so deeply that whatever affects one will affect the other. Because we are so closely bound to our husbands we should strive to make it easy for them to love us. The beauty of this relationship is that we don’t lose our own uniqueness but rather we use our uniqueness to help our husband. In order to experience oneness and intimacy with our husbands we need to get to know them and allow them to know us. God created the act of sex to bring husband and wives together into one flesh physically. God designed sex to be intimate and pleasurable. We are not to rob our spouse in this area. The goal of sex is serving, loving, and helping your husband and treasuring your oneness. Even in our differences we can blend our desires and voice together to praise God and bring Him glory.
When first married my focus was to do my husband good. I was nice and helpful and anxious to do anything to please him. After 14 years of marriage I have settled into a comfortable place where I have forgotten to be nice. It's not like I intend to be mean, but I know he loves me so my tone of voice can be harsh and rough. I no longer greet him with a smile at the door, but instead allow the children to swarm him when he comes in. This chapter was a good reminder for me, I want to make it easy for my husband to love me. Christ is so easy for me to love, He is so gracious and tender to me. I long to be tender and gracious as Christ is.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Chapter Five ~ What God Has Joined Together
"A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife in such that a way that the two become one person." Genesis 2:24
Marriage is two lives, each leaving behind their former selves and uniting to become one new person. Husbands and wives are told to leave their father and mother and cleave to one another. Husbands are to leave behind the submission to their parents authority and wives are to acknowledge that she now has a new authority. As wives we need to guard against anything that would separate us from our husband. We need to seek to please our spouse and focus our energy on our relationship with him.
Every relationship here on earth is marked by impermanence. The only permanent relationship we have is with Christ, our heavenly Husband. Because of this relationship, we leave our primary family behind and cleave to the husband He has given us in this life, as a illustration of the way the church clings to Christ.
"As a wife, you are now to identify yourself with your husband and his interests, instead of the interests of your childhood family." p 83 This means I give up camping, I give up the desire to live in the country, I give up any desires that don't match my husbands. Wow! It means I die to self for the benefit of my husband. How do I do this? I desperately need Christ to work in me, to change my heart, and give me an attitude of humility. It is only through Christ that I have any hope to be the wife He wants me to be.
Marriage is two lives, each leaving behind their former selves and uniting to become one new person. Husbands and wives are told to leave their father and mother and cleave to one another. Husbands are to leave behind the submission to their parents authority and wives are to acknowledge that she now has a new authority. As wives we need to guard against anything that would separate us from our husband. We need to seek to please our spouse and focus our energy on our relationship with him.
Every relationship here on earth is marked by impermanence. The only permanent relationship we have is with Christ, our heavenly Husband. Because of this relationship, we leave our primary family behind and cleave to the husband He has given us in this life, as a illustration of the way the church clings to Christ.
"As a wife, you are now to identify yourself with your husband and his interests, instead of the interests of your childhood family." p 83 This means I give up camping, I give up the desire to live in the country, I give up any desires that don't match my husbands. Wow! It means I die to self for the benefit of my husband. How do I do this? I desperately need Christ to work in me, to change my heart, and give me an attitude of humility. It is only through Christ that I have any hope to be the wife He wants me to be.
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